Need Information on Lynchburg or Central Virginia? There s an App For That!

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Jared Blankenship
5 years ago
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1 Need Information on Lynchburg or Central Virginia? There s an App For That!

2 DiscoverLynchburg Travel Application For Mobile Media Summary The Lynchburg Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau recently released its cutting-edge DiscoverLynchburg travel application for smart phones. This application offers potential visitors a new, innovative way to access information on Lynchburg and Central Virginia directly from their phones. The discoverlynchburg travel application provides interactive maps and information on attractions, recreation, lodging, dining, discount packages and other data critical to the visitor s decision to choose an area, or extend their stay. The DiscoverLynchburg application can be found at the App Store under the Travel category, by searching Lynchburg, VA or Central VA.and is free of charge.

3 DiscoverLynchburg Mobile Phone Application The Need

4 DiscoverLynchburg Mobile Phone Application The Need DiscoverLynchburg aspires for excellence in marketing. As the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for the City of Lynchburg, the Lynchburg Regional Convention and Visitor s Bureau (discoverlynchburg) is tasked with marketing Lynchburg, Virginia and growing it as a destination of choice for the leisure, business, group tour, sports and international markets. To successfully promote a locality, there must be a strong, repetitive presence where identified targeted audiences are searching. In the past DMO s have relied heavily on various print media for the bulk of that exposure. Travel related magazines, industry periodicals, printed calendars of events, visitor guides, printed maps, promotional brochures and more have been the venue du jour for decades. However, recent research shows more and more people are abandoning print media when making travel plans, and relying instead on newer, more versatile electronic technologies. The Virginia Department of Tourism s research department reports that 80% of travelers now choose online, internet sources to obtain their travel or vacation information ( Reports from the National Travel Association show that Baby Boomers are quickly losing their long held position as the largest share of the traveling public to the rise of GenX, which will soon be the predominant traveler. With this change, print media as the main source of travel information has given way to the newer technologies of the internet, and the even faster growing area of mobile media. Additional research shows that even though mobile phone applications have only been around for roughly a year, there are now more than 65,000 applications to choose from ( Travel applications in particular have become an increasingly popular aide to help travelers not only reach their destination but find information on attractions, recreation, lodging, dining and other choices while on the road. Mobile technology allows for the flow of needed information anywhere at any time, and at the touch of a visitor s finger no need to be in front of a computer, or deal with bulky, often outdated printed materials. During the 3 rd quarter of 2010, DiscoverLynchburg contracted a research project to determine the most popular source of information for today s traveling public. While the internet still holds a majority, mobile technology is advancing at break-neck speed and expected to take the number one position within 24 months. The study also shows 56% of smart phone owners would use a travel application when available (a copy of research summary is provided in Supporting Documents) that number is expected to increase as the familiarity of smart phones continues to saturate our culture. Based on data from these sources it was determined that future marketing efforts of discoverlynchburg must focus primarily on internet opportunities and the growing mobile market. Therefore, taking a lead role in creative use of current technology, the LRCVB released the DiscoverLynchburg travel application for this vital mobile market in the summer of 2010.

5 DiscoverLynchburg Mobile Phone Application Objectives

6 DiscoverLynchburg Mobile Phone Application Objectives The Mission Statement of the LRCVB compels us to not only promote and market Lynchburg and the region but to enhance its image and insure a first class visitor experience. Each of these vital elements play a critical role in tourism s positive impact on the local economy through higher visitation, longer stays and increased visitor expenditures ; therefore these essentials are incorporated in the conceptual planning of any discoverlynchburg marketing campaign, partnership or product development. When considering the discoverlynchburg travel application for mobile phones, we quickly realized this new, innovative product would be of assistance in achieving the objectives of the product itself, but would also touch on each significant objective of our mission statement as well. Specific: Provide valuable information in a new and innovative way, accessible anywhere at any time, literally at the fingertips of potential visitors around the globe, thus marketing the destination, enhancing its image and assisting in extending the stay and economic impact of visitors to the area. Measurable: Aside from the obvious tracking of downloads of the product itself from the App Store), the discoverlynchburg travel app will leave measurables from QR codes on all media advertising and the discoverlynchburg.org website, as well as direct inquiries received from the contact page of the app itself. Attainable: By saturating all of its marketing campaigns with QR codes programmed to give the visitor or potential visitor a menu choice to proceed to the pertinent website page, or to download the free travel application, all of the LRCVB s various target audiences will receive the persistent invitation to make use of this new, innovative technology in their travel planning. Realistic: To meet the needs of the growing segment of travelers who no longer rely on print media as their primary means of information, and who use the internet and the ever growing mobile market to find destinations of interest. Time Sensitive: Based on the research conducted, the LRCVB placed priority on the expedient launch of a mobile travel application for smart phones allowing the immediate disbursement of vital information thru this new technology to Gen X-ers, the new leader in today s traveling public. Information without accessibility is as ineffective as product with no market and the LRCVB recognized the fallacy in each of these situations. As the primary source for information on the Lynchburg region, the LRCVB wanted to ensure each audience was offered the information needed, in the most effective manner. Much research went into the identification of the need for this product as well as its target audience. That investigation shows up and coming GenX

7 travelers will be the mainstay of those using the DiscoverLynchburg mobile application, with a smaller, tech-savvy portion of Baby Boomers coming in second place as an auxiliary audience. Because of the shift in generations, the LRCVB also made a priority of making the message more relevant to this new generation, so a new advertising campaign was drafted to support and successfully promote the mobile application. Attention was also given to keeping a tech-edgy feel to that new campaign, thus QR codes were added to secure the interest and loyalty of those traveling GenX-ers, as well as offer an even greater ease in locating and downloading the product.

8 Discover Lynchburg Mobile Phone Application Evaluation

9 Discover Lynchburg Mobile Phone Application Evaluation After careful research, attentive design, and well planned integration into current marketing schedules, the discoverlynchburg Travel Application was launched and offered free through the Apple ITunes/App store. Lynchburg was the first DMO in the state of Virginia to launch such a travel application for smart phones, and along with staying on the leading edge of technology in destination marketing, the LRCVB committed to earnest performance evaluation n of this new, innovative tool. To help measure the success and use of the application, the LRCVB contracted online tracking reports from SwebApps analytics. These reports allow instant information regarding number of downloads of the app, and various demographic breakdowns as well. The LRCVB has been able to meet its objective of providing information at the fingertips of potential travelers and in a new and innovative way with each download of the travel application. Download reports show the discoverlynchburg application was downloaded 758 times during the 4 th quarter of Aside from the tracking of downloads of the product itself, the discoverlynchburg travel app is leaving measurable numbers from QR codes on all media advertising, social media and the discoverlynchburg.or website. Of the total number of downloads during 2010, 38% were accomplished from direct search of the App Store. 27% were accomplished from use of a QR code scan, with the remaining 35% coming from a combination of website and social media promotion. According to data from Google Analytics, during the 4 th quarter of 2010, in the 3 months following the launch of the discoverlynchburg travel application and the supporting marketing campaign, web visits to discoverlynchburg.org increased by 36%. No other web-push element has achieved such an impressive or immediate gain. The LRCVB will continue to explore further data and statistics, and their best uses in accomplishing our mission, through the addition of a visitor friendly survey which will be incorporated into the first update of the application, scheduled for spring of 2011.

10 Discover Lynchburg Mobile Phone Application Budget

11 Discover Lynchburg Mobile Application Budget Expenses Research Concept /Design 1, Apple ITunes Registration Annual Hosting Fee (Recurring annual expense) Total.. $1, Return 2010 Advertising Placement Value $500,000.00* The return on this type of product is not measured in immediate dollars, rather in the marketing reach and resulting increase of inquiries which eventually produce increased visits and visitor expenditures. As stated in the Evaluation segment, there has been significant increase in inquiries since the launch of the discoverlynchburg application. As the mission of the Chamber s tourism program is to increase awareness of and travel to the Lynchburg region as a destination, the market exposure is critical. *Advertising for the new application was easily accomplished by the addition of QR codes on all planned print and online media buys for the year, as well as use of preexisting social sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, along with the Discoverlynchburg.org website. This strategy allowed us to gain the value and exposure of our full $500,000 marketing campaign for the year of 2010, without spending additional funds to promote the new product individually.

12 DiscoverLynchburg Mobile Phone Application Communication The most critical element of the discoverlynchburg travel application was to create awareness regarding the product among potential visitors, and to make it easily accessible. The decision was made to saturate the current advertising campaign with the message that the application existed, and then implementation of QR codes to accomplish quick and easy download of the product. The visitor has no need to search the internet or app store, as the application can be downloaded directly from any discoverlynchburg as. QR codes were placed on all print and online ads to the leisure, group, business and sports markets, as well as all online advertising. Another important component was the inclusion of all social media sites. This allowed the targeting of an audience that is already using advanced technology, or current travel trends...a built in market for the product. And finally, LRCVB staff members began including QR codes in the signature line of all electronic communications, as well as on company business cards. The discoverlynchburg travel application for mobile phones has become an integral part of the overall marketing strategy of the LRCVB, and an essential communication tool in promoting Lynchburg as a destination to both domestic and international travelers. We look forward to updating the product as technology continues to advance at a rapid pace.